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Maritime expert calls for priority attention for transport infrastructure development in Nigeria

Infrastructural
development in the transport sector needs priority attention for growth and
sustainability, the Rector of the Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS)Dr
Alexandra Okwuashi, said on Thursday in Lagos.

Okwuashi made
this statement at the 2014 Annual Lecture Investiture and Award Ceremony of the
CIS that took place at the institute in Magbon, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

According to
the rector, the maritime sector has continued to struggle in its operations due
to negligence in the area of infrastructure development that should support the
industry.

“Government
has not given adequate priority to the development of transport infrastructure.

“Government
has not also given adequate priority to the maintenance of the infrastructure
that is available. That is why you see the roads packing up,” he said.

In his paper
titled ‘Development of transport infrastructure in Nigeria,’ Okwuashi noted
that the design of Nigerian roads
presently, did not allow for intersections within the town to give room for
development.

He therefore
called for the development of the railways to reduce the impact of the
heavy-duty trucks and containers on the roads.

“We want
government to put more efforts in developing the rail lines because more
cargoes can be moved through this mode of transportation.

“It is
easier for the train to carry what about 40-60 trucks cannot even carry and the
impact will not be on the roads.”

Okwuashi
also called on banks to support government’s efforts in boosting the maritime
sub-sector.

Also
speaking during the event, the chairman of the council of CIS, Prof. Adalemo
Isaac, bemoaned the lack of statistics to assist in measuring the input of
transport to economic development.

“The lack of statistics and records of actual cost
input to provide, maintain and replace infrastructure hinders the accurate
measurement of contributions of transport to economic development,” he said.

According to
the chairman of the council, the provision of transport infrastructure remains
key to a sustainable economic development.

Highpoint of
the ceremony was the commissioning of the institute’s E-Library and the Computer
Based Testing centre approved by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board
for the 2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.